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R. 'D. MORRISON. VEHICLE TOP.

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ROBERT D. MORRISON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOWILLIAM O. NELSON, OF SAME PLACE.

VEHICLE-TOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 436,900, datedSeptember 23, 1890. Application filed February 6, 1890. Serial No.339,478. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT D. MORRISON, of the city of Baltimore, andState of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement inVehicles, and especially in the arrangements of curtains relatingthereto, of which the following is a full description.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention, in which Figure 1 isa view of the upper part of the body of a carriage or other vehicle,partly in section, and looking from the front to the rear; Fig. 2, across-section of one of theposts; Fig. 3, a perspective view of one ofthe curtains, showing spring-roller, supplemental roller, and tagsattached to the curtain; Figs. 4 and 5, cross-sections of the posts,showing different forms of guides for the curtain; Fig. 6, a side Viewof a wagon-body with front and back curtain down and middle onehalf-way; Fig. 7, a view of three posts in section with the curtains inposition; Fig. 8, a view of the upper part of one of the posts, showinggroove with spring and supplemental roller; Fig. 9, a view of the samewith supplemental roller omitted; Figs. 10 and'll, views of tags ofdifferent forms used upon the curtains. Fig. 12 ihows an end of thesupplemental roller or The drawings illustrate the body of a vehicleprovided at the sides and rear with the usual posts A, which aresupported at the base by the rail B, and which extend up to and furnisha support for the top or deck 0. The

top rail D, which surrounds the deck, is cut out just above where itjoins the posts to give room for the bar or roller G to direct thecurtain to fall within the grooves in the posts, as will be fullyexplained.

Suitably journaled in the upper part of the vehicle are the two rollersF and G. The roller F being of the class known as the l-Iartshorn orspring roller, need not be explained; and the roller G, which may aswell be a rod, is intended as a guide for the cur tain H, Wound upon thespring-roller F, and directs it into the grooves in the posts. It isalso used as a means for guiding the curtain laterally as well asperpendicularly.

I will now explain the details of one way by which my invention may becarried out.

Fig. 7 shows top views in section of three posts provided with groovesto receive the edges of the curtain. The grooves should be deep enoughto let the curtain enter wellinto the body of the post, so as to beretained therein during a wind and also to prevent rain from entering.If desired, the curtainedge may be protected from wear at intervals by abutton, clasp, or rivet, as shown ath h, Fig. 3. By reference to thefigures it will be seen that the center post has two grooves pointing inopposite directions to receive one edge of the curtain running fromthence to the next post, While the one to the left in the rear has alsoa groove at right angles to that which retains the side curtain for thereception of the rear curtain, or, if desired, another post may be usedfor this purpose. I prefer to make these grooves in a manner to preventlateral movement of the curtain and hold them in place under anycircumstances; and for this purpose I construct the grooves so that theymay have a branch at right angles, and provide the edges of the curtainswith tags 25, bent to conform to these branch grooves, as shown in Figs.2,4, 5, and 7. These branch grooves may be made in the posts by hand orby machinery, leaving a projection of the Wood sufficient to receive acapping-piece h running the length of the post, which is screwed uponthe post after the branch groove h isformed, which leaves the post, whenfinished, provided with an L-shaped groove; or the groove could be madein the solid post without the capping-piece. The grooves may also befastened upon the side of the post, if desired, by making suitablemetallic pieces in proper shape and securing them to the post, as shownin Fig. 5. A view of the curtain with the tags attached is shown in Fig.3. The tags should be placed on the curtain in position so that theywill not interfere With each other when wound upon the roller. It isevident that a number of forms of tags and grooves maybe devised to workequally wellsuch, for example, as the T-shaped or buttonshaped--as shownin Figs. 4, 10, and 11.

As before stated, the roller G may be a simple round rod. I prefer theroller because there would be less friction. Its office is to guide thecurtain and hold it plumb over the ICO groove. It may also have anadditional function, that of assisting to retain the curtain in positionlaterally. I prefer to construct the end of the roller, as shown in Fig.12,with the concentric projection g, and a reference to Fig. 3 will showthe position of the tag as it passes over this roller as it is wound orunwound on the spring-roller. The concentric projection g, however, isnot necessary, as the tag t may overlap the end in the same manner andbe held securely in place.

The roller G may,under some circumstances,

be dispensed with; but it is better to haveit.

Incase it is not used I place the spring-roller directly over the groovein the post in position to drop the curtain into the groove, and as thecurtain is always in the groove for a short distance, it is possible tooperate the device in this way. In such a case I bevel out the upperpart of the groove, as shown at a, Fig. 9,and as the bulk of the rollerF is larger when the curtain is wound than when unwound the roller maybe placed in position to conform to an average bulk of the roller andcurtain. In the front of the wagon, as shown in Fig. 6, the curtain hasbut one post and groove. The forward lower end, passing by thedash-board, is properly secured to the lower rail or other suitable partof the wagon. I As an additional preventive to the en trance of rain, astiffening-piece i may be placed within a hem or otherwise attached nearthe bottom of the curtain, and the curtain below this piece will form aflap hanging over the outside of the lower rail, making the wholewater-tight. The usual small glass window may also be put in thecurtain, as NV.

The operation may be seen at a glance. The

curtain is of the ordinary flexible material, impervious to water. Itruns up and down in the grooves as directed by hand, may be stopped atany desired point, keeps its position, dispenses with straps andbuckles, buttons and button-holes, may be operated in an instant oftime, and may be used as sash curtain or blind.

The cross-piece at the lower part of the curtain maybe provided withloops and the posts with fastening devices for the loops in case anadditional securing device is required to keep the curtain fixed at anypoint.

What I claim is 1. In a carriage or wagon body, one or moresupporting-posts provided with a groove or grooves running in line withthe curtain and having a lateral branch, in combination with aspring-roller, a flexible curtain wound thereon, and a series of rigidtags attached to the curtain at intervals and constructed to conform tothe grooves in the post.

2. In a carriage or wagon body, one or more supporting-posts providedwith a groove or grooves running in line with the curtain and having alateral branch, in combination with a spring-roller, a flexible curtainwound thereon, a series of rigid tags attached to the curtain atintervals and constructed to conform to the grooves in the post, andasupplemental roller over which the curtain passes located in positionto direct the curtain into the grooves in the posts.

ROBERT D. MORRISON.

WVitnesses:

M. TURNER, IVIURRAY HANSON.

